Method of closing vessels



Oct. 24, 1933. a. MARTINA 1,932,351

METHOD OF CLOSING VESSELS Filed March 30, 1951 INVENTOQ.

Giuseppe Martina Patented Oct. 24, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 30, 1931, Serial No. 526,488, and in Italy March 31, 1930 1 Claim. (Cl. 226-80) The present invention relates to a device allowe ing to seal on the mouth of vessels, pots, cans of any sort, the cover usually employed for closing the same. The main feature of the device consists in this that the sealing cover is secured to the vessel by means of a ring, maintaining said cover fastened on the mouth of the vessel against any suitable rim with which the neck of the same is provided, said ring being formed of any brittle material which cannot stretch, as for instance a lead ring containing antimony, which ring may be forced on with any proper tool.

Said securing ring can be fitted on the vessel through compression by means of a special pincer. For example, a ring large enough to fit over the mouth of the vessel and the cover is pushed down until it reaches its desired final position. Then it is gradually compressed at all points so that its diameter is reduced until it fits tightly. This results in a very slight increase in thickness which is in no way detrimental. It is quite evident that material of this type can be compressed without fracture, but that any attempt to stretch it to its original shape will be unsuccessful and will break the ring. During the compression of the ring or afterwards, any required inscription or trade mark may be formed on its surface; eventually the date ofthe sealing of the vessel.

The ring so formed and arranged should not be removable except by breaking the same, due to the fact that the material of which it is made cannot be stretched in any way: on the other hand it may be easily broken by inserting any pointed tool under said ring, forcing it open by making leverage against the vessel. In order to help this breakage the vessel may be provided with serrations or grooves on its neck in correspondence with said ring.

In the accompanying drawing some embodiments of this invention are shown by way of example.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a cross section through one type of closure formed according to my process.

Figs. 2 to 8 are similar views of modified forms of the closure.

In the embodiments illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 the vessels are provided with a groove round their neck: in said groove is forced ring 1 made out of a brittle and unstretchable material, said ring irnprisoning the sealing cover 2 applied on the mouth of the vessel 3 whose form may be any desirable one. This sealing cover may be the only closure as in Fig. 1 or else it can be associated, as in Figures 2 and 3, with a closing plate 4 or with a stopper 4'.

In the embodiments shown in Figures 5 and 6 the sealing of ring 1 and consequently of cover 2 is secured by simply having the outside of the neck of vessel3 somewhat conical enlarging upwards.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 7 and 8 the sealing is secured by the head 5 provided around the vessels neck: in the particular case of Figure 6 it is supposed that the rim 6 of sealing cover 2 is folded over ring 1, so as to cover it, thus securing a tight sealing even in the case in which the vessels neck cannot provide a sufficient grip for fastening the cover on it. 0

Of course the sealing devices of the vessel can vary according to its particular shape or contents: the ring may be round, oval or polygonal, fitting exactly the particular shape of the vessel's neck.

What I claim is:

A method of closing vessels consisting in placing a cover over the mouth and around the neck of the vessel, and compressing a closed ring of brittle and non-stretchable non-porous material around said neck on said cover so as to engage and press said cover tightly against the neck of the vessel.

GIUSEPPE MARTINA. 

